Samsung Unveils New 48MP ISOCELL Sensors

Cellphone camera technology has come a very long way from when they were first introduced back in the day, where the quality of photos were not even of VGA quality. However fast forward to today, and phones are coming with higher megapixel sensors, features like OIS and EIS, the ability to shoot in 4K, and more.

That being said, could Samsung have teased the camera system for its 2019 Galaxy S10? The company has recently unveiled a pair of new ISOCELL sensors of the 48MP variety, which according to Samsung have been designed and aimed at smartphones that pack multiple cameras (which seems to be pretty much every flagship phone in the market today).

Samsung claims that due to the fact that these sensors measure 0.8-micrometers in size, they will be able to fit into smartphones without adding any extra bulk, which means that smartphone makers can introduce higher resolution cameras without make their phones bigger or heavier.

While we can’t speak to their quality, Samsung’s smartphones and cameras have typically performed very well, and there’s no reason to think that these sensors won’t continue that tradition, but whether or not they’ll make it into the Galaxy S10 remains to be seen.

Ubergizmo’s Co-founder Hubert Nguyen thinks that the combination of ultra-high resolution and a pixel-binning capability should make these sensors extremely strong in both bright and dim light photography.

He points out that for years, Samsung has been using 12 MP sensors, which represented the best trade-off between sharpness and low-light proficiency. But pixel binning can essentially transform the 48 MP / 0.8-micron sensor into a 12 MP / 0.16-micron one, thus making it it a force to be reckoned with in all conditions.

According to Ben K. Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics, “Demand for ultra-small, high-resolution image sensors are growing as smartphones evolve to deliver new and more exciting camera experiences for users. With the introduction of our cutting-edge 0.8μm-pixel Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1 and GD1 image sensors, we are committed to continue driving innovation in image sensor technologies.”